25 songs with a person's name in the title (2024)

Artists are constantly inspired to write songs about their life experiences and people they know or encounter. Whether it's a friend, partner, relative, or stranger, anyone could be an artist's muse, to the point of even getting a song named after them.

Sometimes an artist uses a person's real name; other times, they'll use a different moniker in its place, whether for privacy reasons or just to fit better with the song lyrically. However, every song title with someone's name isn't always about an actual person; sometimes, the name is used as a metaphor to describe a pastime or a place.

Here are 25 songs that feature a person's name in the title.

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In 1974, country queen Dolly Parton released her No. 1 hit song, “Jolene.” On the track, Parton confronts a woman she believes could steal her man. As Parton sings in the last verse, “You could have your choice of men / But I could never love again / He’s the only one for me, Jolene.”

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since Michael Jackson released the world's best-selling album of all time, Thriller. The album garnered seven singles, including “Billie Jean.” On the Quincy Jones-produced track, the King of Pop mentions the name Billie Jean, a woman who claims the protagonist is her child's father. Not only did the track become one of MJ's most popular songs, but when he performed it on the TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, the world was introduced to his iconic moonwalk.

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Neil Diamond’s hit single “Sweet Caroline” may have been released back in the late ‘60s, but it’s a track that seems to never go out of style. Although the track may have been named after someone named Caroline, the song has since become a signature song at sporting events for victories, including all home games for MLB's Boston Red Sox and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

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In 2006, pop rock band Plain White T’s scored a No.1 Billboard hit with their single “Hey There Delilah.” Frontman Tom Higgenson wrote the song after meeting cross-country runner Delilah DiCrescenzo. Higgenson was so enamored by DiCrescenzo's beauty and wrote it as a dedication to her. As he sings in the first verse, “Hey there Delilah, I know times are getting hard / But just believe me, girl, someday I’ll pay the bills with this guitar / We’ll have it good / We’ll have the life we knew we would.”

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In 2002, Jay Z and Beyoncé teamed up on their first collaboration with “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde,” a song title inspired by the classic film Bonnie and Clyde. Sampling Tupac’s hit song “Me and My Girlfriend,” Jay and Bey made a song about how much they need each other as their ride-or-die partner. As they say on the hook, “All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend / Down to ride to the very end is me and my boyfriend.”

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In 1999, Latin rock band Santana reached a new level of commercial success with its 18th studio album, Supernatural. Co-produced and co-written by Wyclef Jean, the third single, "Maria, Maria" meshes Jean’s hip-hop sound with Carlos Santana’s signature electric guitar riffs. On the chorus, the Product G&B sing, “Oh, Maria, Maria / She reminds me of a west side story / Growing up in Spanish Harlem / She’s living the life just like a movie star.”

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In 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival released their hit song “Proud Mary." But two years later, Ike & Tina Turner released their cover, and the track saw even more success. On the Turners' version, Tina says they’re going to start off “nice and easy," but about halfway into the song, it becomes a funk and rock track filled with gospel elements. "Proud Mary" became one of Tina's iconic songs in her discography.

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In 1978, rock band The Police released their debut album Outlandos d'Amour,led by the hit single “Roxanne.” On the track, lead singer Sting sings about a sex worker named Roxanne, and he’s trying to convince her to change her night job. In the first verse, Sting says, “Roxanne, you don’t have to put on the red light / Those days are over / You don’t have to sell your body to the night.” The track became one of the band's signature songs to perform during their live shows.

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In 2002, Jennifer Lopez released her third album, This Is Me… Then, led by her hit single “Jenny from the Block.” On the track, Lopez stresses that people shouldn’t be fooled or intimidated by her wealth because she’s still the same woman who grew up in the Bronx. “Jenny from the Block" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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In 1975, pop rock duo Hall & Oates earned their first US top-10 hit with their single “Sara Smile.” On the track, they describe Sara as a woman who is always there for them for love and support.

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In 1957, rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard released his hit single “Lucille.” On the track, Richard is questioning Lucille’s whereabouts. He knows he’s treated her well but is afraid she might have left him, so he pleads for her return.

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In 1973, Elton John released his seventh studio album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The album garnered four singles, including the hit track “Bennie and the Jets.” The track is named after a fictional band that John is a fan of. The piano chords from John make the song enticing, and Mary J. Blige sampled them in her single 1999 single “Deep Inside.”

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For anyone who speaks French, Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” translates to “My darling love.” However, Cherie has been known to be a woman’s name. On the track, Wonder sings about the love and admiration for a woman he hopes to call his one day. As he sings, “Oh Cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore / You’re the only girl my heart beats for / How I wish that you were mine.”

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The Beatles’ 1968 hit “Hey Jude” is often revered as one of the band’s signature songs. Paul McCartney wrote the track , which was initially titled “Hey Jules,” named after John Lennon’s son Julian. McCartney wrote it to help Julian cope with his parent's separation. As the band sings in the first verse, “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad / Take a sad song and make it better.”

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In 1978, Rick James released his debut album Come Get It! The album garnered three singles, including the hit song “Mary Jane.” On first listen, one may think James is singing about his love for a woman named Mary Jane, but actually, the name is just code for his love for marijuana. As he says in the first verse, “I’m in love with Mary Jane / She’s my main thing / She makes me feel all right / She makes my heart sing.”

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In 2010, Taylor Swift released her third album, Speak Now. Although the album garnered six singles, another fan-favorite track is “Dear John.” Swift has no problem highlighting her relationships in her songs. “Dear John” was in response to dealing with a break-up with her rumored boyfriend, John Mayer. Swift's frustrations are fully displayed with how her ex-beau treated her, so the song is more like a goodbye letter.

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In 2018, rapper J. Cole released his critically acclaimed fifth album, KOD. The track “Kevin’s Heart” references the comedian and actor Kevin Hart (who also appears in the video). On the track, Cole stresses the mindset of a man who may be unfaithful in his relationship and knows that he may hurt the person who loves him the most. As Cole says in the second verse, “I love her, I don’t want to lose her / I’m selfish, I know that I use her / My ego get stroked and I bruise her.”

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In 2006, indie rock band The Zutons released their track “Valerie.” It was just a year later when producer-songwriter Mark Ronson called on Amy Winehouse to make a cover. Zutons’ lead singer Dave McCabe wrote the song about his friend who kept getting in trouble with the law. Ronson and Winehouse’s version peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.

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In 2017, R&B singer SZA released her debut album, Ctrl, led by the hit single “Drew Barrymore.” While the title is named after the legendary actress (who makes a cameo in the music video), the track finds SZA dealing with low self-esteem and insecurities as she sees her crush walk into a party with another girl.

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In 2016, the indie folk band The Lumineers dropped their sophom*ore album, Cleopatra, led by the hit single “Ophelia.” On the track, the band sings about wishing people the best of luck when dealing with fame because they might fall in love with it.

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In 2018, Janelle Monae released their third album, Dirty Computer. The album’s second single “Django Jane” is a powerful anthem that speaks up for supporting women’s rights. Monae is well aware that society attempts to strip women of their rights, and they present “Django Jane” as a track to remind women of their magic.

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In 1999, rock band blink-182 released their third album, Enema of the State. The album garnered three singles, including the hit song “Adam’s Song.” The band’s bassist Mark Hoppus wrote the song to shed light on people suffering from depression and dark thoughts. Although the subject matter differed from their usual songs, “Adam’s Song” was a top hit on Billboard’s rock charts.

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In 2009, R&B singer Amerie released her fourth album, In Love & War. One of the album’s deep cuts that stand out among fans is “Dear John.” On the track, Amerie is writing a letter to her unfaithful boyfriend. The letter is a goodbye note to let John know she’s no longer putting up with him. As she sings on the hook, “Dear John, I’m hoping that this finds you well / Dear John, but you put me through a living hell / Dear John, you left me with nothing to do / Dear John, dear John, I’m leaving you.”

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In 2002, rapper Eminem released his critically acclaimed album, The Eminem Show. Eminem was no stranger to rapping about his family and relationship issues. His track “Hailie’s Song” was an ode to his daughter after he was granted custody of her. Although the relationship didn’t work out with his daughter’s mother, Kim, Eminem is happy that his daughter came from that relationship.